Black Friday 2017

We can hardly believe it, but we've already circled around to the best part of the year. There are only 100 days to go until Black Friday 2017!

Here at BFAds HQ, the excitement is building more and more every day. We're prepping to make this Black Friday the best one yet! We've got a fresh crop of newbies readying their typing fingers to bring you Black Friday ad leaks as quickly as possible. We've got writers working on informative articles and buying guides to help you save with every purchase you make this holiday season. And, of course, we can't forget the prizes.... our gift closet is getting stocked with goodies and gift cards galore!

Speaking of giveaways, to celebrate being this close to our favorite time of year, we're giving one lucky reader a $100 AMEX gift card! You have from now through August 22nd, 2017 to enter. You can enter for your chance to win here.

As far as Black Friday doorbusters go, our fingers are crossed to see stellar deals on TVs, VR systems, video games, and homegoods. Last year's Hatchimals will be replaced by Nintendo's Super NES Classic Mini for Black Friday 2017. We're already bracing ourselves to wait in line for that one!

This year, for the first time since 2013, GameStop stores will remain open on Thanksgiving.

While we don't have word on the final hours, GamesStop did say in a statement to Kotaku that stores will be opened "for a shortened and limited time on Thanksgiving Day."

GameStop has kept their doors shut on Thanksgiving in years past, "out of respect" for their employees. However, whether their change of plans for 2017 was "requested by store associates" or by their pocketbooks, GameStop will be open this year.

The fact that stores will have shortened store hours could be a win-win for GameStop. Their employees could go home early, and the limited timeframe could drive demand for their Black Friday deals. Of course, this depends on what GameStop will be offering this year. Will they have stock of the Nintendo Switch and Super NES Classics? Will they have their usual great deals on pre-owned products and games? Or will their Black Friday ad be lackluster?

Only time will tell. Last year, we leaked the GameStop Black Friday ad on November 11th. We'll be sure to keep you in the loop for their Black Friday 2017 plans as we hear more updates.

One thing is certain: the Gray Thursday debates start earlier and earlier each year! How do you feel about GameStop's decision?

Our favorite day falls on November 24th this year. The deals will begin sooner, however. We expect to see early-access Black Friday sales around the 20th, with the majority of retailers flipping the switch by Thanksgiving Day (November 23rd).

Believe it or not, we are already starting to prep for Black Friday 2017 here at BFAds HQ! We have a ton of fun in store for you all this year. We're busy preparing to hire our holiday elves, brainstorming buying guides, and flexing our typing fingers to process those early ad leaks.

Right on time, Best Buy is rolling out their Black Friday in July sale! Today is a special one-day early-access event for Elite and Elite Plus members. All customers will be able to shop the sale starting Friday, July 21st.

These deals are available in limited quantities, online only, so we advise checking them out as soon as possible if you are interested! Shipping is free on orders over $35. Otherwise, you can opt for free in-store pickup. This promotion will likely run through this Saturday.

Back in 2015 we saw Best Buy extend this promotion to a Cyber Monday in July sale as well! We'll keep you in the loop if there are any updates!

We're hand-curating this list of the best deals on the Internet, and updating it frequently to help you get your shopping done! The hottest offers are marked with a little flame, and keep checking back - we add new deals just as quickly as these offers expire.

Believe it or not, the BFAds team sleeps sometimes, so we'll be adding to this post more frequently on the morning of July 11th! You can check out our Hot Deals page for the latest deal updates.

Prime Day Lead-Up deals have arrived! These special promotions will run each day from now until Prime Day.

Today, there are special Prime-Exclusive Voice Shopping deals. Members with Alexa voice shopping can get in on deals like $50 Off a Bose Soundlink Bluetooth Speaker III, $6 Off Greenies, and yes even savings on a Squatty Potty! Deals may change at any time so you can always ask, "Alexa what are your deals?" You can see all of the Prime Day Voice Shopping deals here! If this is your first time ordering an Alexa deal you will also receive a $10 credit. The credit will be applied within 3 days which means you can use it for more savings on Prime Day!

The best deal available is for those who have an Alexa device but don't currently have a Prime Membership. You can say to Alexa, "Alexa, sign me up for Prime." and it will only cost you $79 for a year membership. Prime is rarely discounted so it's a great time to try it out.
As a reminder, some more Prime Day deals have already started. We'll be sure to update you with more Prime Day news as it is revealed. For tips and tricks on how to shop this event, check out our Prime Day Primer!

Clear your cache and grab your coffee: Amazon Prime Day 2017 will arrive at 9PM EST on July 10th. The 30-hour sale will run through 2:59AM EST on Wednesday July 12th.

In addition to the main event, Lead-Up Deals will be launching every day beginning on July 5th. Shoppers with Alexa devices will be able to snag their deals even earlier, starting at 7PM EST on Monday July 10th. Some early Prime Day deals are live now!

Prime Day is a one-day only event that, as you may have guessed, is exclusive to Amazon Prime members. It's lauded as an early Black Friday by some shoppers, and criticized as a warehouse liquidation event by others. Either way, it is sure to be the most talked-about sale in the coming weeks. We're here to tell you what to expect and how to stay savvy when the deals arrive.

The best and worst thing about Amazon Prime Day is that deals are kept secret until they go live. Prime Day deals arrive in the form of Lightning Deals, much like Amazon's Daily Deals or Black Friday sale. New deals can start as often as every five minutes. They span all sorts of categories, from fashion to beauty to TVs to home electronics and everywhere in between. In short, it's a shopping frenzy, and we recommend being as prepared as possible.

First thing's first: if you want to shop this sale, you'll need an Amazon Prime membership. You can click here for a free 30-day trial! Students with a .edu email address can get a free 6-month Amazon Prime trial. Otherwise, you can purchase a membership for $10.99 per month or $99 per year.

So are the Prime Day deals worth shopping? It's hard to say. Sometimes the deals are hot enough to make every BFAds employee reach for their wallet at the same time. Other times a deal is so bad that it goes viral. Last year people complained about Amazon Prime Day's "lack of deals", but it is worth noting that despite some negative reviews, Prime Day 2016 was the biggest day in the history of Amazon.

This is Amazon's third Prime Day. The events have slowly improved over the years, and we think this year will be the best yet. There are several new features for Prime Day 2017. They'll have deals organized by over 20 different popular categories, so you can find what you're looking for with ease. They'll also have TV deals -- a ton of them. To quote their press release, "Amazon is planning one of its largest total volume TV deals in history with a record level of inventory."

We recommend treating Prime Day the same way you'll be treating Black Friday 2017. Be prepared to shop quickly, but not so quickly that you forgo all rational thought. Just like with Black Friday doorbusters, give yourself a few moments to think: do you really need a new toaster? Is the price truly a historic low? Find detailed advice on how to navigate the deals in our Prime Day Primer!

Even if Amazon fails to impress, we have dozens of competitor sales to look forward to. In 2015 and 2016, Amazon's competitor sales combined with ultra-hot Lightning Deals felt like a little Black Friday in July. We hope to see more of the same this year.

Make sure you get your Amazon Prime membership and read our Prime Day Primer! We'll be working (and shopping) hard on July 11th, and our deal hunters will be rounding up the hottest of the hot deals & competitor sales right here on our front page. Who knows? Maybe we'll even see a Nintendo SNES Mini Classic Edition pre-order! (Hey, a website can dream, right?)

Today, Amazon announced that they'll be offering a 45% discount on monthly Amazon Prime memberships to shoppers in the U.S. receiving government assistance. Anyone with an EBT (Electronics Benefits Transfer) card is eligible for the price cut. EBT is used for programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Amazon has plans to eventually extend this discount to programs that don't use EBT. Head over here if you are interested in signing up or getting a free 30-day trial.

Eligible customers can receive Amazon Prime memberships for $5.99 per month. That's 45% off the monthly rate, and almost 25% off the cost of a yearly membership. Customers will receive all of the normal Amazon Prime benefits: free 2-day shipping, exclusive discounts and deals, Prime Photo & Video access, and more. EBT cards cannot be used to pay for Prime memberships. Customers can qualify once per year for up to 4 years, with no annual commitment or cancellation penalty.

Amazon is also currently participating in a USDA pilot program along with six other companies. The two-year program, slated to launch this summer, will test out accepting food stamps to pay for online grocery orders. It is meant to help those in food deserts have better access to fresh, healthy food -- and relieve the social stigma that surrounds those receiving government assistance. While we're unsure whether or not food stamp recipients would also get a discount on AmazonFresh, which normally costs $14.99 per year, it is clear that Amazon is trying to reach a new market.

This is yet another calculated move by Amazon in their war with Walmart. Amazon already has Walmart beat on other aspects like free shipping thresholds, but Walmart knows what they're doing when it comes to food: groceries make up about 56% of the retail giant's revenue. When you consider the fact that online shopping could amount to 20% of grocery spending by 2025, it's clear that both stores need to step their strategies up. Walmart will need to develop a way for customers to shop for food online both easily and affordably, and Amazon will need to find a way to get their goods to every customer regardless of their yearly salary.

Amazon making their services more accessible to low-income customers can help breach the gap that comes from their lack of brick-and-mortar stores. Walmart doesn't have an in-house fresh grocery delivery service, but they do have Jet.com up their sleeve -- and Jet's bulk discount paired with their JetFresh grocery program could mean huge savings for someone working on a very tight budget. However, if Amazon becomes more competitive with Prime Pantry, they could give Jet & Walmart a run for their money.

We'll be sure to keep you updated on how this all unfolds. What do you think? Any predictions? Let us know in the comments below!

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